Daniele Bolelli

{{Infobox person

| name = Daniele Bolelli

| image = Daniele Bolelli on The Art of Charm.jpg

| caption = Bolelli on The Art of Charm in 2019

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|1|11}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Daniele-Bolelli-41858 |title=Daniele Bolelli Fight History|website=Sherdog |access-date=16 January 2022}}

| birth_place = Milan, Italy

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| occupation = Lecturer, writer, podcaster

| spouse =

| parents = Father: Franco Bolelli,
Mother: Gloria Mattioni

| website = {{URL|danielebolelli.com}}

| television =

| education =

| alma_mater = UCLA (B.A., Anthropology; M.A., American Indian Studies)

CSULB (M.A., history)

Cardiff University (unfinished doctorate, history)

}}

Daniele Bolelli (born January 11, 1974) is an Italian writer, university lecturer, martial artist, and podcaster based in Southern California. He is the author of several books on philosophy, and martial arts, including On the Warrior's Path.{{cite book|last=Bolelli|first=Daniele|title=On the warrior's path: philosophy, fighting, and martial arts mythology|date=2008|publisher=Blue Snake|location=Berkeley, Calif.|isbn=978-1583942192|edition=2nd}} Known for his writing since the 1990s in Italy and the early 2000s in the United States, Bolelli rose to greater public prominence in the 2010s, beginning with his appearances on popular podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience. He went on to create his own podcasts, and has hosted The Drunken Taoist since 2012 and History on Fire since 2015.

Bolelli holds M.As in American Indian Studies and history from UCLA and California State University, Long Beach, and did postdoctoral research in history at Cardiff University.{{cite web|author=GQItalia(@GQItalia) |url=http://www.thehumanxp.com/episode-96-daniele-bolelli-discipline-surviving-challenges-martial-arts/ |title=Episode 96 – Daniele Bolelli – on Discipline, Surviving Challenges & Martial Arts |website=The Human Experience Podcast |date=2017-06-05 |accessdate=2018-07-05}} As a professor, he has taught a wide variety of courses in the arts, humanities, and social sciences on topics including Native American history and culture, Taoist philosophy, and Ancient Rome. He teaches at CSULB and Santa Monica College.

Personal life

Bolelli was born in Milan, Italy, in a family of writers. His father, Franco Bolelli, was an Italian philosopher. His mother, Gloria Mattioni, is the author of four books and a freelance journalist. After high school, Bolelli moved to Los Angeles, where he began attending Santa Monica College. He later graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Anthropology, and continued his graduate work at UCLA (in American Indian Studies), CSULB (History) and Cardiff University (History). He currently lives in the Los Angeles area.{{cite web |author=GQItalia(@GQItalia) |url=http://www.menstyle.it/cont/sport/sport/0902/0402/karate-simone-bolelli-un-nerd-gu.asp |title=Daniele Bolelli, un nerd guerriero .1 |website=MenStyle.it |date=2014-05-05 |accessdate=2017-07-07 |archive-date=2016-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315082120/http://www.menstyle.it/cont/sport/sport/0902/0402/karate-simone-bolelli-un-nerd-gu.asp/ |url-status=dead }} In 2011, Bolelli's wife, Elizabeth Han, died from a brain tumor a little over a year after giving birth to their daughter, Isabella.{{cite web|url=http://thedrunkentaoist.com/episodes/episode-34-elizabeth-han|title=Elizabeth Han}}

Writing

When he was 20 years old, Bolelli co-authored his first book Mitologie Felici, which was published in Italy. He later co-authored two more books in Italy Starship, and Frontiere.

His first solo book, La Tenera Arte del Guerriero, was published when Bolelli was 22 years old. This work, which is a philosophical exploration of the martial arts, became popular in Italy even outside the confines of martial arts circles and it has been used as a textbook in several universities in the United States, Canada and Italy.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} Bolelli later translated it into English and added three additional chapters; the end result was published in the United States in 2003 under the title On the Warrior's Path. Two new chapters were later added for a second edition published in 2008. A Russian edition of On the Warrior's Path was published in 2011, and an updated Italian edition was released in 2013.

He next wrote a book on comparative religions, which was published in Italy in 2011 under the title iGod: Istruzioni per l'Uso di una Religione Fai da Te,{{cite web|url=https://bluesnakeblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/interview-with-daniele-bolelli-author-of-on-the-warriors-path-and-its-recent-second-edition/ |title=Interview with Daniele Bolelli, Author of On the Warrior's Path and its recent Second Edition | Blue Snake Books |website=Bluesnakeblog.wordpress.com |date=2008-09-02 |accessdate=2017-07-07}}{{cite book|url=http://www.uaar.it/ateismo/opere/daniele-bolelli-igod |title="iGod" Istruzioni per l'uso di una religione fai da te | Recensione |language=it |website=Uaar.it |date=2008-06-30 |accessdate=2017-07-07}} and in the United States in 2013 as Create Your Own Religion: a how-to book without instructions.{{cite book|last=Bolelli|first=Daniele|title=Create your own religion: a how-to book without instructions|date=2013|publisher=Disinformation|location=New York|isbn=978-1938875021}}

Bolelli's third book, 50 Things You're Not Supposed To Know: Religion, was published in the United States in December 2011.{{cite book|last=Bolelli|first=Daniele|title=50 things you're not supposed to know.|date=2011|publisher=Disinformation|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-1934708699}}{{cite web|last=Bolelli|first=Daniele|title=Believe It Or Not: 7 Facts You're Not Supposed To Know About Religion|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniele-bolelli/7-religion-facts_b_1211712.html|work=Huffington Post|date=2012-01-18}}{{cite web|title=Author profile - Daniele Bolelli|url=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/192827.Daniele_Bolelli|publisher=Goodreads Inc.|accessdate=14 May 2014}}

Bolelli's fourth book, Not Afraid: On Fear, Heartbreak, Raising a Baby Girl, and Cage Fighting was published in 2015. It's an autobiographical tale on the theme of facing fear which discusses Bolelli's experiences in martial arts, the death of his wife, and his raising his daughter as a single parent.{{cite book |title=Not Afraid: On Fear, Heartbreak, Raising a Baby Girl, and Cage Fighting |first=Daniele |last=Bolelli |date=1 December 2015 |publisher=Disinformation Books |isbn=9781938875137}}

He says that the most influential thinkers to have affected his world view include Tom Robbins, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ikkyu Sojun, Thomas Paine, Henry David Thoreau, Lao Tzu, and Heraclitus.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Teaching career

Bolelli teaches courses at CSULB and Santa Monica College. Unlike most scholars who tend to specialize in one particular field of knowledge, Bolelli describes himself as taking a "renaissance man approach." This has led him to lecture for diverse departments including History, Social Sciences, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, and World Arts and Cultures. The range of subjects he teaches include American Indian history and philosophy, history of the United States, world religions, history of ancient Rome, history and philosophy of martial arts, the ethnic experience in the United States, world history, and several courses on the relationship between cinema and history.

Martial arts

Bolelli has trained in several styles of martial arts including kung fu san soo, taijiquan, baguazhang, xingyiquan, shuai jiao, submission wrestling, Brazilian jiujitsu, boxing, and judo. He holds black belts in Judo, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and an eight degree black belt in kung fu san soo{{spaced ndash}}a style that he has taught for several years at UCLA's John Wooden Center. Bolelli also coached and fought professionally in mixed martial arts (MMA).{{cite web|title=Religious Disinformation|date=31 January 2012|url=http://www.skepticality.com/religious-disinformation/|publisher=Audio interview in Skepticality, the official podcast of Skeptic Magazine and the Skeptics Society, released 31 January 2012|accessdate=28 March 2014}} His MMA role models are Genki Sudo, Evan Tanner, Rumina Sato and Kazushi Sakuraba.{{cite web |url=http://www.sherdog.net/forums/members/daniele-bolelli/ |title=Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forums - View Profile: Daniele Bolelli |accessdate=2010-06-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022012114/http://www.sherdog.net/forums/members/daniele-bolelli/ |archivedate=2010-10-22 }}{{Better source needed|date=May 2014}} He also coaches and manages female MMA fighter Sovannahry Em.{{cite web |url=http://blog.fightchix.com/2016/11/23/wonder-woman-savannah-em/ |title=wonder woman: Savannah Em |website=Fight Chix |access-date=16 January 2022 |archive-date=16 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716002700/http://blog.fightchix.com/2016/11/23/wonder-woman-savannah-em/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Savannah-Nahry-Em-242693|title=Savannah Em Fight History|website=Sherdog}} And teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo at Ojai Valley Martial Arts in Oak View, California. He is the author of an instructional video for BJJ Fanatics called "Prison Rules: The Not-So Gentle Art of Jiu-Jitsu"{{cite web | url=https://bjjfanatics.com/products/prison-rules-the-not-so-gentle-art-of-jiu-jitsu-by-daniele-bolelli | title=Prison Rules: The Not-So Gentle Art of Jiu Jitsu by Daniele Bolelli }}

Media and podcasting

Bolelli is the host of two popular podcasts: The Drunken Taoist{{cite web|url=http://thedrunkentaoist.com/|title=The Drunken Taoist|website=thedrunkentaoist.com}} and History on Fire.{{cite web|url=http://www.historyonfirepodcast.com/ |title=History on Fire |website=Historyonfirepodcast.com |date= |accessdate=2017-07-07}}

Bolelli began hosting The Drunken Taoist in October 2012 after appearing on popular podcasts including Adam Carolla's, Joe Rogan's, Duncan Trussell's and Skepticality, the official podcast of the Skeptic Society.{{cite web|url=http://www.adamcarolla.com/daniele-bolelli/|title=Daniele Bolelli|website=Adamcarolla.com}}{{cite web |url=http://blog.joerogan.net/archives/3881 |title=Joe Rogan |website=Blog.joerogan.net |date=2013-07-26 |accessdate=2017-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505171120/http://blog.joerogan.net/archives/3881 |archive-date=2012-05-05 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2UPuP5y4t8|title=Joe Rogan Experience #187 - Daniele Bolelli, Brian Redban|last=TechShown|date=20 February 2012|publisher=YouTube}} His foray into podcasting followed his appearance in Spike TV's I Am Bruce Lee documentary{{cite web|url=http://iambruceleemovie.com/|title=IAmBruceLeeMovie.com - Health & Technology Inspired by BL|website=iambruceleemovie.com}} and a Jan. 24, 2012 interview about his book 50 Things You’re Not Supposed to Know: Religion, published in Wired magazine.{{cite news|last=GeekDad|title=Interview with Daniele Bolelli|newspaper=Wired magazine|date=Jan 2012|url=https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/01/interview-with-daniele-bolelli/}} A little over a month after its debut, The Drunken Taoist was ranked number 1 in the world in the Philosophy section of iTunes.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.danielebolelli.com/2012/11/05/drunkent-taoist-podcast-thanks-much-support/ |title=Drunkent Taoist Podcast - Thank's again so much for your support! |website=Danielebolelli.com |date= 5 November 2012|accessdate=2017-07-07}}{{Better source needed|date=May 2014}} Bolelli explained the naming of the podcast in his interview with Taoism Network: Taoism forms the philosophical roots of his worldview. The 'drunken' part links to a type of consciousness that emphasises on instinct, a celebratory and egalitarian attitude, and his hero Ikkyu Sojun .{{cite web|title=Interview of Daniele Bolelli - Taoism Network|url=http://taoism.goodeasy.info/network/article.php?id=10}} In 2014, Bolelli released a sixteen-part lecture series about Taoist philosophy.{{cite web|url=http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/|title=Taoist Lectures - Daniele Bolelli|website=Danielebolelli.com|date=2 September 2014 |accessdate=2017-07-07}} He has continued to appear on various popular podcasts, including Mike Vallely's The Mike V Show.{{cite web |url=http://themikevshow.com/ |title=The Mike V Show |accessdate=2015-02-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222094413/http://themikevshow.com/ |archivedate=2015-02-22 }}

Bolelli began hosting History On Fire in 2015, which was included in iTunes' list for 'Best of 2015' podcasts in the "Recent Debut" category. History on Fire was inspired by Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, and Carlin later appeared as a guest on the show.{{cite web |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-on-fire/id1038514498 |title=History on Fire Reviews |website=iTunes}}{{cite web |url=http://historyonfirepodcast.com/episodes/2017/4/28/episode-19-featuring-dan-carlin |title=Episode 19 Featuring Dan Carlin |website=History on Fire |date=April 28, 2017}} Topics of podcasts have included Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the Italian artist Caravaggio, and the early 20th Century American boxer Jack Johnson.